African mediation team meets Machar in Jonglei in South Sudan

Khartoum-A delegation from the IGAD mediation team has met with the former Vice President Reik Machar in a place controlled by the rebels loyal to Machar in South Sudan for the first time since the outbreak of fighting between the rebels and the government forces. Before the meeting with Machar, the delegation of the mediation team has arrived in Juba and held a meeting with President Salva Kiir Mayardit but no information about what was discussed in the meeting. The sources have affirmed that Juba has allowed the delegation to meet Machar in the jungles of Jonglei. The spokesman of the mediation team of Machar Yohans Moses told Al-sharg al-awsat by phone that the meeting took place un unannounced place controlled by their forces in Jonglei state, saying that the detainees should be released before the start of negotiation with those who are loyal to President Salva Kiir. He added that” the release of detainees is not our condition. It is a condition that was agreed upon by in the agenda of the IGAG mediation
Machar put a condition that 9 detainees of the SPLM leaders including Secretary General Pagan Amum, former ministers Deng Alor and Kosti Manibi while President Kiir rejects their release before the end of investigations with them.
With regard to the situation sin the field, Moses said that the government forces entered Bentiu without fighting because their forces withdrew from the downtown of the city to the outskirts. He further said that there was a fighting around Meyom area, saying that the anti Khartoum government Darfur Justice and Equality Movement supported the government forces. In response, the Justice and Equality Movement has denied participation in the fighting in South Sudan saying that it keeps the same distance from all warring parties, expressing readiness to play a role in healing the rift between the two sides if requested.
The spokesman said that the movement is not existing in South Sudan let alone participating in any fight. He added that we have presence in Troji, Jawa, Angola, Dabkaya areas in south and west Kordofan, stating that his movements engaged in fierce fighting with the Sudanese army in these areas on Friday and Saturday. He elaborated that these areas are hundreds miles away from South Sudan with no possibility of participation in the fighting there
Belal urged the aprties to the conflict which accuses his movement to find facts to avoid accusing his movement without evidence.
In Darfur, the government of South Darfur has accused Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minawi of attacking a displaced camp in “Belail” locality in eastern Niyala, and killing four soldiers at the camp.
The governor of the state Adam Jar Al-Nabi has threatened that the government will react firmly and take legal actions against those who are involved in trading with the rebels, criticizing what he described s the attacks of the armed movements on the civilians in the camps.
On its part, the movement of Sudan Liberation- Minawi faction said it statement that it implemented operation during which it killed a Janjaweed militia leader known as Abu Bashar in Khor Abachi area in eastern Niyala.

Arabic Forum